Tourisme Montréal Blog » soccer in montrealhttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog
Fri, 31 Jul 2015 19:13:05 +0000en-UShourly1Mr. Soccer, Francis Millien, talks FIFA Women’s World Cup Canadahttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/francis-millien-fifa-womens-world-cup-canada/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/francis-millien-fifa-womens-world-cup-canada/#commentsWed, 03 Jun 2015 14:17:48 +0000Jamie O'Mearahttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=112581They call him Mr. Soccer, and for very good reason. Francis Millien has had a hand – or perhaps a foot, rather – in the promotion of soccer in Montréal and Québec at virtually every level for over 30 years. As Venue General Manager at Montréal’s Olympic Stadium for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 (taking place in Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Moncton and Montréal from June 6 to July 5), Millien once again finds himself in service of the beautiful game. An assistant coach for the Montréal’s professional soccer team, the Montréal Impact, for five years, Millien played an active role in the organization of the U20 2014 and the U20 FIFA World Cup in 2007. A member of Montréal’s Comité Excellence Sportive since 2011 (responsible for supporting high performance sport in Montréal and showcasing the city’s sport scene), Millien’s duties at the FIFA Women’s World Cup also relate to upholding standards of excellence. “[My job] is to make sure that everything is prepared in good order and that everything follows the rules and criteria of FIFA ,” Millien explains. “There are very strict regulations we have to follow to make sure that the best service is given... / Read More →

]]>They call him Mr. Soccer, and for very good reason. Francis Millien has had a hand – or perhaps a foot, rather – in the promotion of soccer in Montréal and Québec at virtually every level for over 30 years. As Venue General Manager at Montréal’s Olympic Stadium for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 (taking place in Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Moncton and Montréal from June 6 to July 5), Millien once again finds himself in service of the beautiful game.

An assistant coach for the Montréal’s professional soccer team, the Montréal Impact, for five years, Millien played an active role in the organization of the U20 2014 and the U20 FIFA World Cup in 2007. A member of Montréal’s Comité Excellence Sportive since 2011 (responsible for supporting high performance sport in Montréal and showcasing the city’s sport scene), Millien’s duties at the FIFA Women’s World Cup also relate to upholding standards of excellence.

“[My job] is to make sure that everything is prepared in good order and that everything follows the rules and criteria of FIFA ,” Millien explains. “There are very strict regulations we have to follow to make sure that the best service is given to all the teams that are participating.”

As noted, Millien is no stranger when it comes to organizing world-class soccer sporting events, but even then he insists the FIFA Women’s World Cup is special.

“Because it’s not just another competition,” he explains. “It’s the second-ranked competition for FIFA after the male competition, and it’s also a way for FIFA to prove that it not only takes care of all athletes, both men and women, but that it also takes care of women’s development in sports, not just as athletes but also as managers, coaches and administrators. It’s a chance for Canadians to demonstrate that in Canada it’s our objective to help women develop not just in sport but also in society.”

Millien says this kind of tournament is important for the growth of soccer in the province because it shows that Montréal, much like Vancouver and Toronto, is a soccer city, “no matter if it’s men or women.” Indeed, there are currently more than 200,000 players registered with the Federation de Soccer du Québec (a four-fold increase since the mid-’90s), approximately 40 percent of whom are women. Millien cites soccer’s inherent democracy and simplicity, as well as its affordability, as the basis for its growing popularity here.

“The same supports and services are given to both boys and girls soccer here,” says Millien, “and it’s also the kind of sport where everybody can find a spot for themselves. If you’re big or small or whatever, you will always have a position on a soccer team where you will feel comfortable. It doesn’t matter if you’re good or not – everyone can run after a ball and kick it. It’s also not expensive which may make it easier for parents with two or three kids to put them in soccer instead of having the big expenses of some of the other sports.”

The FIFA Women’s World Cup gets underway on June 6 in Edmonton, Alberta with matches featuring Canada vs. China as well as New Zealand vs. the Netherlands (for the complete schedule, please click here). The first match in Montréal will feature Spain against Costa Rica at the Olympic Stadium on June 9. When asked about key matchups that people should be looking forward to, Millien is non-partisan and shares a unique observation.

“All the games!” he laughs. “We will have a very high level of competition with all these [international teams], and also we have to say that women’s soccer is sometimes more appealing to watch than the men because they are more generous players. And the technique of the players, as well as the tactics and physicality, has changed over the last 10 years… It’s changed so much that now you have goals scored by women that men would have loved to score.”

]]>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/francis-millien-fifa-womens-world-cup-canada/feed/0The Montreal Impact hit their stride in 2013http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/the-montreal-impact-hit-their-stride-in-2013/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/the-montreal-impact-hit-their-stride-in-2013/#commentsTue, 09 Apr 2013 10:37:33 +0000Jamie O'Mearahttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=9338The slogan this year for Montreal’s Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise the Montreal Impact is “Behind every player is a supporter.” But if the number of fans expected at every home game in Montreal is any indication, each player could reasonably expect a conga line of 782 supporters bringing up the rear. It’s a level of love that’s been two decades in the making… This year – the 20th anniversary of the club – marks the first full season for the Montreal Impact in their newly expanded HQ, Saputo Stadium (situated in Olympic Park a goal kick away from Olympic Stadium, where they play larger-attendance matches). Saputo Stadium now features 20,341 seats, putting it on an almost equal footing, attendance-wise, with the home base of the city’s beloved Montreal Canadiens, the Bell Centre. And to be sure, this rapid growth in the popularity of soccer has not gone unnoticed. Especially by hockey fans. And for those many among us who think the six-month hockey regular season is too long, major league soccer is mounting a challenge in this department as well. In 2013, the Impact schedule consists of 34 games over eight months, making it one of the longest regular... / Read More →

The slogan this year for Montreal’s Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise the Montreal Impact is “Behind every player is a supporter.” But if the number of fans expected at every home game in Montreal is any indication, each player could reasonably expect a conga line of 782 supporters bringing up the rear. It’s a level of love that’s been two decades in the making…

This year – the 20th anniversary of the club – marks the first full season for the Montreal Impact in their newly expanded HQ, Saputo Stadium (situated in Olympic Park a goal kick away from Olympic Stadium, where they play larger-attendance matches). Saputo Stadium now features 20,341 seats, putting it on an almost equal footing, attendance-wise, with the home base of the city’s beloved Montreal Canadiens, the Bell Centre. And to be sure, this rapid growth in the popularity of soccer has not gone unnoticed. Especially by hockey fans.

And for those many among us who think the six-month hockey regular season is too long, major league soccer is mounting a challenge in this department as well. In 2013, the Impact schedule consists of 34 games over eight months, making it one of the longest regular seasons in professional sports. The club’s campaign kicked off on March 2 and runs until October 26, at which time the MLS post-season begins.

But rest assured no one’s counting when it comes to a team that has come flying out of the gate this season under the stewardship of new coach Marco Schallibaum, who coached at the top level of Swiss soccer for a decade. At the time of this writing, the team was sitting at 4-1 in the standings in only their second year in the top-tier North American soccer league. It’s an effort that in late-March earned the team – one of only three Canadian teams in a 19-team league – the top position in the MLS Power Rankings for the first time in the Impact’s history.

That the Impact took top spot at the World Pro Soccer Classic in February seems to have boded well for the club’s fortunes this year. The next match goes on April 13 against Columbus. It will be their home opener at Saputo Stadium, and it will be madness: the customary (and family-friendly) crowd craziness at the home games is almost as entertaining as the play itself. For the complete schedule, please go here.